I fear for fall down from devotion and waste of life. What to do?
A girl devotee (name hidden) asked like this:
“Anna. i chant, fast, worship krishna, but, stuck when i feel failure in bhakti and waste of my life. i feel i can atleast live successful material life. what is your advice about this anna?”
REPLY:
Very innocent question from an innocent girl.
You ask: “If I fail in my devotional practices, my life is waste because I sacrificed enjoyments throughout the life. I would have missed both material enjoyments and also Krishna. So, It is better if I run a successful material life with full enjoyments. Why should I follow tough devotional life when there are plenty of material enjoyments?”
Right?
(I lost interest in devotion and stopped going to temple because of failures. What to do? READ HERE!)
Interesting. You fear for fall down from devotion and waste of life.
Many people have a doubt seeing the tough disciplinary rules and devotional procedures.
But, remember: The material life never succeeds materially though you enjoy till death and the devotional life never fails though you stop in the middle.
Many devotees think:
“I am performing some devotional practices. But, I am not pure enough that I am aware. I am also seeing some acharyas and dedicated devotees who are fully dedicated to Lord. They serve the Lord many times more than me. Since I have some family responsibilities, I am unable to perform that much of services to Lord. I am aware that those serious devotees will definitely go to the Lord. But, what about me who is doing just little services and devotional practices and has fallen down again? Will all my devotional practices go waste?”
(If Only 1 in 1000 attains Perfection in devotion, why should I be a devotee? READ HERE!)
This is a genuine confusion for common people. But, Krishna has well clarified this aspect that will give relief for such devotees who are unable to offer full performance in devotion. And, some others perform devotional practices for a certain months. After that, they may fall into the hands of maya again.
If a devotee performs devotional saadhanas for 10-15 months and then go back to materialized life, what will happen?
Krishna says that your saadhans and services will be kept in your account like your bank account. Though you fall down from devotional life, when you die, you will be given a birth in a family from which you will be able to perform devotion comfortably and the barriers that you faced in this birth will not be there in that next birth. So, you can continue the stopped services and practices of devotion in the next birth comfortably and then, get Krishna from that birth.
What this shows?
You need not feel for having failed to achieve Krishna in this birth because of your fall down to materialistic way of life.
(Why and How did we fall down from Goloka? How to avoid it? READ HERE!)
Devotional practices never go waste.
Even a single service will not go waste and you will definitely get Krishna in His kingdom one fine day.
So, continue your services to Lord with full faith. In case you fail to continue, you will be given another chance. In fact so many chances. Don’t worry.
However, as a wise devotee, try your best to get liberated from this uncertain material worlds at the end of this birth itself. Going back to Krishna at the end of this birth itself is not possible for all within the same birth. The guarantee is that they will have very good next birth as a born devotee.
Krishna will never let His devotees permanently fall. He will do everything to uplift His devotees who take even a small effort towards Krishna.
Because, KRISHNA IS EAGERLY WAITING TO RECEIVE US IN HIS KINGDOM AT THE EARLIEST.
HE IS READY TO ACCEPT US. We have to just try for it without losing the faith.
So, do not stop your devotional practices. If you go back to materialistic way of life, there is no chance of satisfaction at all.
Who said you should skip your regular life for devotion? Just learn to do every duty in life as a service to Krishna. For assistance, marry a devotee and continue duties as service to Krishna. Don’t see devotion as a separate burden. It is a blissful experience to lead our life keeping Krishna at the center of our life. Just avoid prohibited activities in life. A disciplined family life with the service for Krishna will be a meaningful life. Fuse devotion in your family life instead of treating devotion as an extra burden.
Catch Krishna strongly. He will protect you and elevate you. Do not fear for fall down from devotion.
(How One falls due to attachments as said by Krishna? READ HERE!)